PILI, Camarines Sur (January 14, 2025)—A quiet but potentially transformative shift in Philippine agriculture is taking shape in this town named after the nut-producing tree, where a P500-million cold storage facility is nearing completion—an investment officials say could reshape farm incomes, stabilize food supply, and anchor a regional food logistics hub in the Bicol region.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. and Camarines Sur Governor Luis Raymund “L-Ray” Villafuerte Jr. inspected the facility on Wednesday ahead of its targeted opening by late February or early March, after construction delays caused by typhoons and weather-related disruptions late last year.
The facility will house six refrigerated warehouses with a combined 2,688 pallet positions. At full capacity, it can store about 4,600 metric tons of boxed meat or 3,000 metric tons of vegetables. It is also equipped with a blast freezer, processing and packing areas, and a solar power system designed to cut electricity costs and improve operating efficiency.
Tiu Laurel said the DA has earmarked another P500 million for a complementary food hub, with development expected to begin in June and run for about 12 months. The hub will provide trading and distribution facilities to complete the province’s emerging food system. ### (Photos by Alan Jay Jacalan, DA-AFID)
